


Maid in Law

by writteninweakness



Category: Helix Waltz (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 20:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19979680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writteninweakness/pseuds/writteninweakness
Summary: A Magda that was never adopted by Eliza Ellenstein makes her way in the world by working odd jobs as a maid until she comes across a certain lawyer's book and changes her future.





	Maid in Law

**Author's Note:**

> I have to admit, I love worlds where Magda never met Eliza. This was another one of them. It also started because of how I almost always make my Magda carry around Barris' book regardless of what she's doing at various balls (yes, even in Mandaria) and any other of Barris' items when possible.
> 
> Anyway, this one shot started from there. I chose to end it here because... I can see two bad endings, one "normal" end, and possibly a good one, but most of them are bad, so... I think it might be better if it ends here.

* * *

It all started when Juven, under the pretext of being intoxicated—but, Barris suspected his nephew was simply acting to annoy him—came over and spilled his drink all over him.

Barbara had laughed, which suggested this was also some form of game for her amusement—and possibly other younger members of the nobility in attendance. He was almost certain that their circle had a game or perhaps a bet going, with a goal of provoking the most interesting or possibly the most humiliating reaction from someone.

Barris, naturally, seemed to be their chosen victim more so than any of the other older nobles—a fact he supposed owed to his own nature of studiousness, since he was often accused of lacking a sense of humor or any romantic inclination, having no idea what the word fun meant and also no tolerance for supposed sinners.

He was not an overly religious man, that was a mistake to say, but he did believe in the law and general common sense, which seemed entirely lacking in this crowd. He was generally known for his restraint, and his choice to forgo alcoholic drinks when he was in the middle of a case to remain clear-headed, so he had a reputation as a teetotaler, which was false.

Still, his soaked garments were a problem, forcing him to change what he could or leave, and since he had court in the morning, he chose to leave.

It was only after he’d gotten home that he realized he’d dropped his well-used if not beloved copy of the Finsel Scriptures somewhere in that fracas and left it behind.

He swore profusely, though no one was around to witness _that_ reaction. He’d kept his temper before, but now he was furious, and his nephew _would_ pay.

Especially since he did not want to return to the party soaked in booze, looking the fool for losing a book that no one thought he should have at such a gathering in the first place.

He would ask after it in the morning.

* * *

“You. Maid. Clean this room before you go.”

Magda looked at the mess left behind by the nobles and wanted to cry, since she’d already been on her feet, rushing about to serve people, for what felt like more than half the day. She didn’t have a watch, so she wasn’t sure, but she’d gone from serving tea at a luncheon to helping prepare for the party and then worked all through it, so she was exhausted.

She was fortunate to have so much work, she knew that, since last week she’d been unemployed and near starving, with more than one person trying to force her into prostitution because she was “so pretty.”

She’d refused, and she wasn’t going to let that happen, since she wanted more than money for false affections, and honestly, she was a terrible liar, so she’d be really bad at pretending she liked the people she was expected to spend time with.

No, she didn’t love being a maid, but she was also learning a lot about many different things. She didn’t understand all of it, but nearly every bit of the nobles’ conversation she heard was interesting and was opening her world wider than she’d ever thought possible.

“Get it done,” the butler ordered, and she nodded, numbly setting to work at cleaning up everything. She straightened misplaced cushions, took glasses that had been left behind to the kitchen, and she didn’t even want to think about some of the things she picked up or swept away.

She was just about to consider her work done for the evening when she almost tripped over a book. She stopped and picked it up, looking at the cover. Red and a bit worn, it hardly looked like it could belong to a noble at all.

She grimaced. Where was the library in this house? She didn’t know. She’d never worked here before today, and she’d been warned so harshly about going anywhere but where she was told and shown—the kitchen and the ballroom—that she didn’t dare wander about earlier.

She didn’t dare do it now, either.

“You’re still here? Goddess, you’re slow. What’s that, then? Oh, trash. Throw it out and go.”

“What?”

“Here are your wages for the night. Go on now. It’s late, and you have no bed here. Be gone.”

She nodded numbly, taking the small pouch of coins and leaving with the book still in her arms. She was not going to throw it away, that seemed like such a waste, especially since she couldn’t afford to buy any books of her own.

No, this was like a gift, and she swore she’d make good use of it if she could.

* * *

Later that night, curled up in her small corner of the room she shared, she found herself unable to sleep despite how tired she was, so she got out her book and opened it up to find it was, of all things, a book of the law. She frowned, not sure she could use this after all, but then again… wasn’t the law supposed to be boring enough to put anyone to sleep?

She smiled at the thought and opened it up, seeing notes in the margins. She studied the handwriting, wondering what had happened to the person who’d made all these notes. Had they been there last night? Oh, she supposed she’d be foolish to think maybe she’d seen them. She had tried not to look too much at any of the nobles, though there were a few that caught her eye in spite of her.

Could it have been that one—No. She couldn’t let herself think about that. She was going to read and fall asleep. She had a lot of work tomorrow, too, so she had to rest.

She looked over more of the notes on the margin, wishing she understood what they meant. She turned page after page, reading the owner’s scribbles over the actual text.

_Remember, killing one’s nephew is against the law. Don’t forget that._

She laughed, covering her mouth so no one would hear her. That shouldn’t be funny, but from the other things that were written, she got the sense that this person wouldn’t do anything against the law. They were just writing down some frustration.

She supposed it was foolish to think she knew them so well after just reading their notes in a book, but most of them seemed to be about how the law needed help to protect people and how to improve it, not how to get away with murdering a nephew. None of them were about that, actually. She understood a few of them but needed so many explanations for the others.

She wished they’d left a name in it so she knew whose it was, but since she didn’t, she couldn’t return it to them or ask about it. She supposed she could bring it with her to any balls she served at and maybe she’d find them again.

In the meantime, she was going to read as much of it as she could.

* * *

“Do you really miss your book that much, Uncle?” Juven sat down on the corner of the desk, smirking at Barris as he did.

Barris tried to restrain himself. He knew better than to give his nephew any ground, though it _was_ true that his routine had been severely disrupted by the loss of his book. He had none of the notes he’d made, and he was more familiar with that edition than any other, could find the subsection of the law he needed within seconds, but with this one, he was still learning the pages.

“What do you want, Juven?”

“I just came to see how you were faring. I heard from several people that my learned uncle was being even more unreasonable than usual, so I thought I should see what might cause such a thing. There’s no rumors of a big trial, and things between you and the Acting Speaker are quiet, too, so all I can figure is that you’re still sore about losing the book the other night.”

“I should be ‘sore’ about what you did that caused the loss of that book. Exactly what game are you playing at? Is there a point to it, or is it simply to annoy me? If so, I should remind you that you can still do that at home, and making a spectacle in public and shaming the Sakan name further is not necessary.”

Juven smiled. “Ah, but the antics of the young are so much fun to take part in. You should try it sometime. You could use a bit of mirth in your life. It’s as if all humor within you died years ago. I would dearly love to see something that proved me wrong about that.”

Barris sighed. “And I would like to see some proof that the Sakan family is not cursed with laziness and iniquity, but I have yet to observe such a thing.”

“I do my part.”

“Is that so?”

“I at least do more than Father does.”

“That’s not hard to do when he sees fit to do nothing at all. If I had known he was going to twist my words about taking up the responsibility of the law when my schooling was done, I would never have agreed to the bargain we struck. I don’t care if I spent years abroad studying. That’s no excuse for abandoning his family and everyone else that depends on the Sakans for their livelihood.”

Juven nodded, no longer as playful. “Agreed. Still, he is trying to do some things to change that.”

“I expect he will get just as bored of that in time,” Barris said. “Do not hold onto hope of your father returning to relieve you of these burdens. If I know anything of Langwon, I know he does not intend to do anything of the sort.”

“And if the civilians had more power in Finsel?”

“You wish to chase a dream of a true democracy? I wouldn’t have thought you so naive.”

“Excuse me?”

“It is extremely unlikely that any of the other three families will let go of their power without bloodshed, and most minor nobles will ally with one of them—Bavlenka being the obvious choice since few are willing to go against them—and should a revolution come, it is very likely it will end in tyranny at his hands. The balance of power established by the four families back at the founding of Finsel was meant to keep that at bay, but Bavlenka has already gained more power than he should have. If the current system fails, it will likely fail in his favor.”

“You don’t think we can oppose him?”

“If the remaining three families joined together, perhaps, but it’s extremely unlikely we’d ever do that. None of them take you seriously, for one, and for another… Your father’s actions work against us as well.”

“You’re talking about those rumors of Father and Duke Jorcastle having both slept with the same woman, aren’t you? I don’t doubt it’s possible. He certainly enjoyed the ladies, much to Mother’s dismay.”

“You say that, and you play at being the same.”

“Were it possible to name my love—”

“Don’t bother.”

“That’s what you really need. The love of a good woman would do wonders for you, Uncle.”

“Get out.”

“Would you rather it was a—”

“Out. Now.”

* * *

“I don’t see why you bother reading that thing. A dumb maid like you has no chance of understanding it,” the annoying footman said, trying to get hold of her book. She held it away from him, tempted to hit him if he tried again. She hated this one. He was annoying, and why did he always seem to be at every ball she served?

“I understand more than you ever will,” she said, and he glared at her, looking almost scary now. She didn’t know if he was stupid enough to try and hurt her here or not.

“If you want to make more money, why don’t you let your pretty face be seen in the brothels? I’m sure you could make plenty there.”

She stared at him, appalled, and he made another grab for her and the book. She let out a cry as his hand grasped something other than the book, shoving him back and giving him a good whack with it. She shook, feeling ashamed even though she knew she’d done nothing wrong. She had a right to defend herself, and yet where he’d touched her made her feel so dirty all the same. She clutched the book tight against her chest.

“What is going on over here?”

“Oh, my lord,” the footman turned, bowing his head to the man in the long dark robe. “It’s nothing. Just a clumsy maid.”

“More like a boorish footman,” she snapped, unwilling to take the blame for what that man had started. They both looked at her, but she refused to be intimidated. “I was reading on my break and he decided to insult me and try to take my book.”

The man in the robe frowned. “That book...”

“She doesn’t even understand it. It’s some law book. She’s just putting on airs and trying to make herself seem better than the rest of us. It’s not—”

“Guilty. You just condemned yourself. No further testimony is necessary.”

“Um, my lord—”

“Do you work for the Jorcastles?” The man in the robe asked her, ignoring the footman. “Or are you here as a temporary aid?”

“Temporary, sir. I work for any house as has need for me,” she answered, feeling very nervous. The footman snorted at her formality, but he’d called this one a lord, and with a robe that nice, this man had to be important. She didn’t recognize him in particular, though she did think she’d seen him at least once before, and then her cheeks started to burn at the thought that maybe he was the one she’d seen that night she’d found the book.

“You might inquire at the Sakan house. I heard they recently lost another maid to some nonsense of the Viscount’s.”

She nodded numbly, barely remembering to give a small curtsy as he turned and left.

* * *

“Well, you’re pretty, which isn’t a good thing around here, but if you can manage to ignore the viscount and do your job, you’ll be fine,” the butler told her, and she frowned, not sure what to think of such a comment. “If it works out, we’ll take you on permanently and you’ll get a room here in addition to your wages. Please change and get started on cleaning the front parlor.”

She nodded, accepting the other uniform and taking it with her to the room he’d indicated. She shut the door behind her and held up the dress only to shake her head in disgust. Was this the trouble with the Viscount that other lord had mentioned? She was _not_ wearing a skirt so short it would expose her undergarments every time she bent over or stood to reach for something.

She set the new uniform aside and went to the front parlor, setting to work on cleaning it from top to bottom, since she’d not been given more specific instructions.

“Hmm. I know you’re not one of our maids. Your uniform is too long.”

“Not too long to work in, and much more comfortable than one that would expose all to anyone passing by,” she said as she turned back to face the long-haired gentleman in pink. “I’m sorry, Viscount Sakan, but no job is worth such a thing.”

“I can be quite generous.”

“If generosity requires perverseness, then I could do better in a brothel back in the slums,” she said, and he laughed loudly. She folded her arms over her chest. “You think that it is funny, but it’s true. If I’d wanted that, I had plenty of opportunity for it. I’m not interested, and if you want to make that a condition of my employment, I’m walking out the door now.”

“A condition of your employment? You almost sound like my uncle. How very unattractive. Very well, I won’t upset such a forceful maiden. You can keep your long skirt. I’ll just imagine the sight of what it covers.”

She frowned. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

“No? I’m still considered very eligible, you know. The oldest of the newer generation of the four families, the pride of Finsel—”

“The shame of it is more like it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m done here.”

“What? So soon? Have you no strength to withstand a few flirtations?”

She snorted. “You imagining what’s under my skirt is not flirting, and I was doing well enough working when I was needed. I don’t want a permanent position enough to suffer through such comments as often as you seem to make them. I may have been born pretty, but that’s just my face. I have a mind, and I’d prefer to succeed by using it, not my body. If you can’t accept that, I don’t need to stay here.”

“You are bold for a maid.”

“I was raised in the slums. You’re bold, or you die. Or you suffer, but I refused to be a victim. I learned how to defend myself, I work hard to keep myself employed without selling my body, and I don’t care if you stuffy nobles look down on me—I know I’m better than that.”

He smiled at her. “You are a delight. I almost wish I could see you take that spirit into battle at a noble ball.”

“What?”

He didn’t answer, leaving her standing there in confusion, not sure what to make of him.

* * *

Lady Barbara was an absolute delight.

She came into the room cursing her brother with so many imaginative words that had Magda giggling before she could stop herself, and the noblewoman had stopped in shock.

“You heard all that?”

“Yes, sorry, and I shouldn’t laugh, but having met your brother earlier, I kind of wanted to say it all myself, since he was being rather… well, all you just described.”

Barbara was the one to laugh then, and they discussed more of her brother’s behavior and then fashion as Magda finished cleaning the room. Barbara seemed relaxed and happy, even though she admitted herself she shouldn’t be talking so much with a maid.

Magda knew that, but she couldn’t help feeling like she’d made a friend in spite of their class differences. She went to her other duties with a lighter step despite having started early in the morning, and she was called to help Lady Barbara dress for the evening. Magda was able to see a lot of fine clothes and even offer some suggestions on how to pair them, which Barbara liked.

She went off happily to the ball, and Magda stayed behind, thinking that helping Lady Barbara might be worth the trouble of her brother.

Maybe.

A little.

* * *

Magda settled into a bit of a routine at the Sakan house. In the morning, she woke Lady Barbara and helped her dress, then went to clean other rooms while the lady was at breakfast. She would often clean in a room that Barbara occupied after her meal, and they talked as she did. Then she’d help Barbara with changing to go out for luncheon or afternoon tea.

Magda had a feeling Barbara’s lady maid hated her, but from what Barbara said, she hated the maid. Magda didn’t think Barbara had any intention of smoothing those ruffled feathers—she might even make Magda her personal maid if Magda did get hired on permanently.

She wasn’t sure who made that final decision—should it be the viscount? Or was it the butler as the head of the servants? Or maybe even someone else? She wasn’t sure, but since she didn’t have a permanent spot, she just did as she was told and tried to be useful, still unsure if she wanted to stay here or not. She liked Barbara, but she was still a bit wary of coming across the viscount again.

Her days so far were without any real incident, so she was content enough.

Since she had no personal quarters yet, when it was time for her evening meal and break, she finished her food quickly and found a quiet corner for herself in one of the rooms that didn’t seem to be used. She figured if anyone came in, she’d start cleaning in here as well, but until they did, she could have a bit of time to read again. She _was_ on a break, after all, and she’d worked hard for it already today.

She was struggling to understand a law on commerce when a shadow fell over her, and she thought the candle had gone out, but when she looked up, she almost screamed. There was a man there, his coat long and dark, giving him an almost sinister look when she first glimpsed him.

“Oh,” she whispered. She’d gotten carried away and spent too long on her break again. “Oops.”

“It does seem that book gets you into trouble,” he observed, a similar looking volume in his own hands. “Tell me… do you understand any of what you read in it?”

She tensed. “Of course I do. I’m not just doing this for show. It’s not like what that footman said. I don’t have _airs._ I want to learn. There’s a difference. I may not understand all of it, but I’ve been trying. I read it over and over and think about it, and I look at the notes in the margin for help if there are any, and I sometimes fall asleep puzzling it over, but the more I do, the more I think I understand. Not this one, it’s confusing me, and he didn’t make many notes, but I think I grasped the basics of property law, at least.”

“Indeed? Impressive.”

“You don’t have to mock me.”

“I’m not. I’ve known lawyers who couldn’t make sense of that book and worse still, make a mess of the law itself.”

“That’s awful.”

“It is.”

She frowned. “Why do you look so pleased, then?”

“Because as I said, it is rare for me to find anyone capable of understanding that book or any of its contents, and it pleases me to observe someone of intelligence for a change.”

She flushed. “Oh.”

“Though I should warn you that the owner of this particular study is considered intolerant, inflexible, and completely irritating by most of the house.”

“This is the viscount’s study?”

He laughed, shaking his head, and she liked not only the sound of it but his smile. It was far kinder than her first impression of him in this room had been. “Actually, no. It is mine.”

“Yours?”

He nodded. “Yes. I am not the Sakan that most know of by reputation and ill-repute. That is either my nephew or my elder brother. I am simply a lawyer, and quite boring in comparison. You, on the other hand, are quite interesting. A maid who studies law in her spare moments and has enough sense to see the truth of my nephew. I assure you that you are quite rare in nearly every aspect, and I almost wonder if I did not fall asleep before dinner again.”

She smiled. He made for rather an interesting dream, if that were truly happening. “I would think this is a nice dream, then.”

“Is it?”

She nodded, lifting the book up and pointing to the subsection she still couldn’t understand. “Can you explain this to me? I fear as many times as I’ve read it, it just seems like gibberish.”

“Guilty.”

“What?”

“It _is_ gibberish.”

“Oh.” She giggled, and he took the book for a moment, reading the section aloud in his very nice voice. She listened carefully, thinking just that alone helped with her comprehension.

“Think of this law this way, and it may help. If you have all of any one item, you have a monopoly on them. If, however, what you have is something necessary for life, something none of us can live without, then your monopoly gives you power. You can control the lives of others and set your own prices, most of which only the very rich could pay.”

“That’s horrible.”

“This law is to protect against anyone gaining that monopoly.”

“Oh. That’s good, then,” she said, smiling again, and he smiled back at her. She didn’t think she’d ever been this happy before, and now she had made up her mind—she was going to work for the Sakans forever if they’d let her.

* * *

“Well, this is a problem.”

Barris looked over at his nephew, not even bothering to call him on the understatement he’d just made. This would have been bad enough if his legal secretary had been delayed or was ill, even a defection or desertion was more acceptable than this reality.

“You think they intended this for you?”

Barris nodded. “Yes. You know how politics sit in Finsel now. The decision before my docket could upset the balance of power, and plenty of people who want to maintain noble privileges are willing to adopt extreme measures to keep things as they are.”

“Yes, but it’s another thing to go after the Minister of Justice and a Sakan,” Juven reminded him. “Either they’re very bold, or they simply meant to intimidate you.”

“If they have the backing of or are one of the other four, they might dare, though it is likely this is mere intimidation. It will not work, though I admit I am… Guilty. I am guilty. It is my fault this man is dead. He worked for me, and they killed him as a warning to me. This...”

“He knew the risks, Uncle.”

“Did he?” Barris shook his head. He should have been able to protect his secretary, the Sakan name should have been enough, but it had not been. And now what was he supposed to do? He needed someone with at least some understanding of the law to assist him, but anyone he asked would also be at risk.

“Can you manage without a secretary until this is over?”

“Maybe.”

“If you can’t, I suggest the maid.”

“Excuse me?”

Juven smiled. “I know quite a lot about how people perceive women in Finsel. They won’t see her as a threat. She couldn’t possibly know anything of use or understand what you’re talking about. That’s why you would hire her—that and she’s quite beautiful.”

“Yes, her mind is quite adept, but that doesn’t mean—”

“Good grief. That woman would be a nine in the right clothes, and you’re speaking about her mind? What is wrong with you?”

“I could ask the same of you,” Barris said. “You need to see beyond a pretty face. Surely you would know that better than anyone by now. If not, simply look at your father. He’s considered handsome, but he’s complete rubbish.”

Juven smiled. “At least on that much we agree. Still, you might try the maid as a temporary fix solution. She could be invaluable.”

“Your plans never end well.”

Juven just smiled, and Barris grimaced, not sure he had any other choice.

* * *

“You are, of course, free to refuse,” Mr. Barris said, and Magda blinked, still in shock from the idea of being his legal secretary, even if it was only for a few days. She hadn’t ever heard of such a thing, and that he thought her capable of it was a thrill almost beyond her belief. She had never thought anyone would ask her to do more than clean something or fetch them food or drink. She studied hard and applied all she knew and all he taught her, but it still didn’t seem like something she could even dream of, and now it was happening. “Miss?”

“Magda,” she corrected out of habit. He didn’t seem comfortable calling her by her name even if she knew full well that he knew what it was. She flushed. “Um… I’d like to.”

“Refuse? Yes, I suppose that is for the best. After all, the last one was—”

“No, no, I want to do it!” she cried, and he frowned at her. She winced. “I… I know even for someone born in the slums so far I’ve been lucky. I have a good job and now a home, since my position became permanent. I’ve learned so much, but even so, I know that… that even just a chance at such a thing is too rare to pass up, even if it comes at a terrible price. And… I suppose I might even be a little scared, but not so scared that I want to live a lifetime regretting not taking this chance.”

He smiled, though it was not a happy one. “I understand, but I hate asking such a thing of you.”

“Please. Let me try. I want this chance. I will do whatever I can to be of assistance. I… I know it’s not proper, but… I do want more than my station. I would love to work by your side in the law.”

He nodded. “I… I could hardly deny so earnest a request. I will do everything I can to see to your safety, then. Please be ready early in the morning. I intend to set out before your usual duties with my niece are done. You… should probably inform her that you will not be available for that for a while.”

Magda nodded, still excited even if she shouldn’t be when he’d already told her that her life was at risk if she did this. “Thank you.”

She gave into her impulse and hugged him as she might any of her friends. This was special, and she knew it, even if it did cost her everything. She’d been told only a few months back that all she could hope for in this life was being a prostitute, but now she was going to be a legal secretary. Even if it was only for a day, it felt like a true victory.

She stepped back, trying to find words to explain herself. “I owe you so much.”

“I… Please do not feel that way. I do not want you doing this out of gratitude or mistaking certain feelings for… what they are not.”

“I am grateful, but that’s not why I want to do this. I assure you my reasons are really and truly selfish.” She blushed. “I… I know I can’t be a lawyer. I don’t have the money for school or the right pedigree, but this? I can do this, and I will.”

“Your determination is admirable. I just pray you are not too reckless.”

* * *

“Magda?”

“I came to wake you as you asked,” Magda said, seeing Barbara peering at her in confusion. The noble ladies tended to sleep late after balls, even Barbara with her boundless energy. “I put on the dress you gave me, but I think it’s too much.”

Barbara sat up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. “Oh, Magda, it’s beautiful on you. So perfect. You look smart and classy. With the way you did your hair, no one will think you’re just a maid. I bet you could even steal my uncle’s heart.”

“Barbara!” Magda flushed, wishing her friend would forget that idea. She admired Mr. Barris a great deal, but she didn’t think he would ever consider her that way, no matter what dress she wore. He was always so responsible, and she knew he was well aware of the difference in their classes. He was a lord, even if he didn’t use his title, and she was a civilian.

“Just watch out for my brother,” Barbara warned, grimacing. “Ugh. Why can’t he ever pay attention to what really matters?”

Magda forced a smile. “I’d better go. I don’t want to keep your uncle waiting.”

Barbara nodded. “Yes. Now go and be as great as I know you are.”

Magda’s smile became genuine as she left the room. She hurried down the stairs, careful of her new skirt and the slightly taller heel on her boots as she made her way along. She didn’t see anyone but servants moving around. Barbara’s lady maid was glaring at her again, but she’d have her old job back for a least a little while as Magda helped Mr. Barris.

She tried not to run the rest of the way over to him, as excited as she was. He looked the same as ever, calm and collected. “Morning, Mr. Barris.”

He nodded, his attention on his book. So much for Barbara’s words about him noticing her dress. “It is. Let us be off. You have everything you need?”

She nodded, reaching into her own handmade pouch. She’d modeled it off a Rayorcan one she’d seen a lady wear at a ball. “Yes. Quill pen, ink vial—shut tight, that’s good—and my very favorite volume of the law with all the important notes.”

He looked over at her then, and his frown became a very awkward stare. She tensed, feeling like she must have made a mistake somehow.

“Mr. Barris?”

“Your dress...”

“Lady Barbara insisted on giving it to me. I wore it to make her happy. That’s not wrong, is it?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. Come. We should go quickly.”

* * *

“When were you planning on mentioning you had a wife?”

Barris lifted his head, facing Acting Speaker Linglan with a frown. “I beg your pardon?”

“Please. You’re too stuffy to ever employ an unmarried woman as your secretary—that’s far too risque. A female secretary would be rare enough, but one that pretty? Everyone will assume the worst of her, so you would only have brought her here if you had a way to appease that morality of yours. So, she’s your wife. Interesting choice, though she seems capable enough. She’s already made that office out there cleaner than I’ve ever seen it in the past, and when I asked her about the laws on commerce, she said I should be careful as I’ve come dangerously close to a monopoly on certain gems. And she has your book, Sakan. Don’t deny it.”

“It is true she possesses the law book I used to carry with me.” Barris didn’t see the point in explaining that Magda had come by it by accident or that he’d allowed her to keep it once he’d seen her interest in learning. She still had not connected that book to him, at least not that she’d confronted him with, but she had little occasion to mark his handwriting before now. This job would give her at least that much—if she survived it. “And yet it is a bit much to assume that she is more than a capable worker and shouldn’t you, of anyone, know better than to assume a woman is nothing more than her appearance?”

“Does she know the risk she’s taking?”

Barris nodded. “I warned her that my last secretary was assassinated, but she still wanted the chance.”

“Then she might be a fool. That, or you are.”

“She’s stubborn, smart, and determined. I’d say she reminds me of you, but only some of those qualities apply to you.”

Linglan glared at him. “Would you care to repeat that?”

“Why don’t you save us both the trouble and tell me why you’re here? You must have a good reason to risk it. Many people want you dead, too, and not just for the judgment that may come down in my court soon.”

“I wanted to see if you reconsidered.”

Barris shook his head. “I have already said all I am going to say on the matter—I’ll do what I must to fulfill the law. You will get no other response from me unless it’s—”

“Don’t even say ‘guilty.’”

He smiled thinly, and then they were both interrupted by the door opening as Magda stepped in. She saw them and her smile seemed to wobble ever so slightly before she spoke. “I’m sorry, Mr. Barris. She asked me for a precedent and disappeared while I was finding the appropriate ruling, though I do have it here now.”

“Clever girl.”

Magda’s smile was thin. “Thank you for thinking so, Acting Speaker. I’d hate to believe you thought I was one of those red light ladies that came to seduce Mr. Barris, though with this case he’d be better off hiring someone from the Merc Corps—I could look into that if you’d like, Mr. Barris. You may have connections of your own, of course, being a Sakan, but a few of them are childhood friends of mine.”

“I think I’m good,” Barris said, though he knew that he could count on Carlos if he needed to. He just didn’t want it to be necessary. “Thank you. I’ll take the file. Why don’t you get some tea for our guest?”

She nodded, passing it to him and turning to leave again.

Linglan smiled. “I think I like her. She’s got spirit. Shame she’s wasted on you, Sakan.”

He shook his head, not bothering to correct her as she left.

* * *

“So, how was work?”

“You are actually asking about my day?” Barris found that nearly impossible to believe of his niece, especially when her eyes were dancing with mirth and she might as well be bouncing in her chair. She was far too excited for a conversation on law which always bored her whenever he spoke of it in the past.

“I think she’s more curious about the fate of your new secretary, Uncle,” Juven said, reaching for his fork. “As, I have to admit, am I. How did she fare? Did you make her cry and regret ever opening a book on law?”

“You know she’s got too much strength for that,” Barbara said. “Magda wouldn’t let Uncle or anyone else bully her. She runs rings around you, after all. Asteria thinks it’s hilarious.”

Juven frowned at her. “She does not run rings around—”

“Magda was quite helpful, and I would keep her at the office for a bit longer,” Barris said. “That is what you wished to know, is it not? There. You need not ask again or assume more than is necessary. I am tired and wish to retire for the evening.”

“You didn’t even hardly touch your food.”

“Chicken is _your_ favorite, not mine. This is barely tolerable as a meal,” Barris said, rising. He knew it was more practical for the cooks to make meals that favored the majority of the house, especially when he was often not home to eat with the others, but he would find it easier to tolerate the conversations that were almost always stacked against him if the food had more appeal.

He walked out of the dining room and started towards the stairs only to stop and turn back to his study. He opened the door and frowned. He hadn’t seen her curled up in here with his book in some time, not since she got a bed of her own in the servants’ quarters.

“Magda?”

She looked up at him, startled. “Oh. I… sorry. I just...”

“What is it?”

She frowned. “What is what? Shouldn’t you be eating dinner now? I heard they prepared a feast of the game that the viscount and Lady Barbara hunted today.”

“Did you truly assume that you had duties as my legal secretary that required your presence here, or are the other servants giving you trouble for going above your station?”

She flushed. “I… It’s too much to assume that you’d still need my help and—”

“Please don’t try and conceal the truth from me. You’re not that good a liar, and it is almost offensive, plus as brave as you are, it was me that put you in this position. You should not have to risk your life as well as suffer bullying in what is now your home.”

She sighed. “I went to change and found my dress was torn, and then when I sat down on my bed, it was soaked wet with water. I don’t know who did it, so it’s not like you or anyone else can punish them, and I don’t want more trouble. I just… I didn’t have anywhere else to sit.”

“If our arrangement continues, I will find you separate lodging. That is how it would be for any other secretary.”

She nodded. “Thank you, though...”

“What?”

“I will miss seeing you.”

“Me?”

“I mean… I meant Lady Barbara. Of course I’d see you at work. That...” She lowered her head again. “It would mean the end of legal talks at the end of our days like we sometimes get to have now if you’re not required at a ball.”

“Ah.” He hadn’t considered that, though she was right, and he would miss them as well, since he found them intellectually stimulating and very much enjoyed the company of someone who understood the law—or at least tried to, which was more than he could say for his family and most of Finsel.

Linglan’s words returned to his mind, and he couldn’t help thinking that were Magda his wife, he could spend much more than a few minutes with her each evening discussing the law. He’d even be able to give into the urge that he sometimes got to push her hair back when she was reading, even other far less honorable thoughts he occasionally had.

No. That was not what this was. He had not helped her with the law to turn her into… that. She had a capable mind and a good heart, and she deserved better than cultivation as a mistress, and he was not so ignorant of their positions. He’d do far worse to the Sakan name than his wastrel brother if he married his secretary, especially once it was known that she’d been a maid in their house first.

“Mr. Barris, is something wrong?”

“No, nothing. I… That chair is not the most comfortable, but it may be of assistance until your bed is dry. I… I am retiring early tonight. Goodnight.”

He saw her frown at him, but he did not explain himself. That should hopefully never be necessary.

* * *

“Barbara, I really don’t think all this is necessary. I’m just accompanying your uncle for work.”

Barbara sighed, shaking her head at Magda’s foolishness. She was a maid who’d worked plenty of balls, right? She should realize this by now. “The ball is like a battlefield, and even if you’re just there for work, you have to look your best. People even look down on personal maids at parties if they’re not dressed nice. It’s a status thing—if you have the means to have servants, you’d better also have the means to dress them well.”

Magda frowned. “I’m not—”

“I know being a legal secretary is a bit different from being a maid, but you need to look nice if you’re going to be at Uncle’s side. He might not even have thought about it, but he should have because there are plenty of women in Finsel who’d like to marry him and even more mothers who’d like to see their daughters become Sakans if it doesn’t mean marrying my brother. They’ll be awful to you if your dress isn’t the best.”

“I’m not a noble.”

“No, but you still have to look nice.”

“Are you saying I’ll have to do what you do and battle over dresses?”

Barbara nodded. “Yes, that’s very possible. You can win, though, with this dress and your face. You’re pretty and determined, so you have that for you, but you need a dress. Here. This one should be perfect. You’ll be professional and sexy, like Acting Speaker Linglan.”

Magda frowned. “You know I can’t compare to Linglan.”

“I think you could win if you try,” Barbara said, “and I think Uncle thinks so, too.”

Magda shook her head. “Stop that, Lady Barbara. Your uncle doesn’t see me that way. He’s a noble, and I’m not, and he knows it. He’d never think of me like that. I’m just a good help to him, which I’m glad of being, but I know it won’t ever be more.”

Barbara didn’t believe that. She was almost certain her uncle liked Magda better than anyone he’d ever met, even over Linglan, and that made Magda very special. She liked the law, which was rare enough, but Barbara knew if Magda was a noble, she’d be the most popular lady at any ball. She was fun to talk to and knew about fashion as well as the boring stuff.

“Let’s just get you in the right dress. Then we’ll see who’s right.”

* * *

“You are after my job?” The Oren next to Linglan asked, looking like she might cry. Linglan sighed, shaking her head.

“Why is it everyone you see with a notebook you think wants your job?” Linglan sounded like she’d had this conversation before, several times, even. “It’s not like that, Giulolo.”

Magda shook her head. “It’s true. I’m not. I’m just carrying this notebook in case Mr. Barris needs me to make notes for him. That’s why I’m here.”

“Really?”

Magda nodded, opening up her notebook to show Giuolo all her notes on the laws that Barris had been debating with the others earlier. She had mostly taken them for herself, since she wanted to research them more later. “See? All about the law.”

“Oh. Good. I like my job.”

“So do I,” Magda said, and Giuolo frowned again. “I mean I like _my_ job. Being able to be a part of the law is something I never thought I’d be able to do, but here I am, and I get to help a wise man like Mr. Barris as he makes things better for everyone in Finsel.”

“Even Orens?”

Magda nodded. “Even Orens. I know he’s very concerned about people abusing the Orens’ votes as well as trying to help more Orens understand the law.”

“Most Orens are scared of laws,” Giulolo said. “I don’t know that any of them want to understand laws.”

“Don’t you? You like records, don’t you? Laws are records, too.”

“Hmm. This may be true.”

“That’s a unique perspective,” Linglan said, looking over at Barris after saying that. “Where did you find this gem, Sakan?”

He looked at her, and her smile turned to a grimace. Even Magda knew he wasn’t going to answer her. They might have been talking animatedly a few minutes ago, but he did tend to close the doors fast on any subjects he didn’t want to discuss. She supposed she was a bit grateful he didn’t tell everyone she was his maid. She liked being thought of only as a legal secretary. She was proud of how hard she’d worked to get here, but she knew enough about the nobles to know that all she’d have to do was say she was from the slums to have them turn their backs on her.

Linglan folded her arms over her chest. “You’re really not going to tell me?”

“Guilty.”

“Oh, you are infuriating,” Linglan muttered, shaking her head. She turned to Magda. “I wonder if you’d tell me more. I can’t wait to hear it. Come, let’s dance.”

* * *

“I think she could be called an eight.”

Barris eyed Linglan’s Oren secretary who wrote down absolutely everything and decided not even to bother responding to his nephew here. He walked away, and Juven followed after him, much to his annoyance.

“Oh, come now. If you didn’t feel the same, you wouldn’t have brought her here. You know what it’s like for a ladies in this battleground. She has to look the part—which she does, though I think that’s partially Barbara’s doing—and she has to talk the talk. So far she’s managed, but then Linglan is in a different class of people.”

Barris shook his head. “I wanted her presence to be seen for the implication of all my conversations being recorded. Nothing more.”

“Ah. This is your move against the threats lodged against you?” Juven nodded thoughtfully. “It’s a reasonable plan, I suppose. Few would make threats when they know your secretary is listening and recording. It does put her at risk, though.”

Barris was aware of that, though he wanted to believe her being seen as a capable assistant was valuable enough to her to off-set the risk in her mind, at least. She’d said as much before, though the stakes were higher now. “The final day of court is tomorrow. The decision will be made, and what consequences may come, I believe I’ve done my best to prepare for them.”

“And you come to the ball as if you’re not expecting death tomorrow. It’s a good show, Uncle, and I admit you have impressed me a little—fooled Barbara and that poor girl a lot—Neither of them has any idea that’s what you’re doing.”

“Some messages are best unspoken, though if you keep this up, you will broadcast it to everyone like you are on some Rayorcan device.”

“Oh, please. A few choice words to Kelly is all I really need if I want to spread something around. Anyone knows that.” Juven’s words were joking, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Uncle, we may not always agree, but you are family, and I do—”

“You don’t have to say anything. It is perhaps better if you don’t.”

Juven frowned, but Barris excused himself, needing to find Magda before the nobles completely overwhelmed her.

* * *

Magda jerked awake when the carriage hit a bump, and she frowned, not sure when she’d fallen asleep. She had been worn out by the time she left the ball. After Linglan got her to dance once, she found herself being asked over and over again, by men and women alike, most of whom she’d never met, and the few she’d had weren’t always that nice to her when she’d been a maid. None of them seemed to recognize her, though, with most assuming she was some distant lower born relation of the Sakan family the way Nyx Bavlenka had been before she was adopted by the grand duke.

If that were true, maybe Magda had a chance at her most impossible dream, but she knew better than to hope for it.

She looked up in horror to see she’d fallen asleep on Mr. Barris, and though he smiled kindly at her when he saw she was awake, that did not make her feel any better. She shouldn’t even be touching him, but to sleep on him?

“I’m not surprised you’re exhausted. We had long hours at the office today before going to this party, and they are exhausting just by their nature.”

She giggled. That was true, even when she wasn’t serving at them. “Aren’t you tired?”

“I am, and yet… I am surprisingly energized. There is so much yet to do...”

“Are you worried about passing your decision tomorrow?”

He shook his head. “The law is clear, so it is simple enough. Doing anything less would be a disservice to all, not just those who died. No, this must be done. I accept that. I am content in knowing that I have made the right choice, and that will be my legacy.”

She frowned, a terrible feeling overtaking her. “You… you are talking almost as if you do not expect to live past tomorrow. Please tell me it is not as dire as that. You… you are upholding the law. They have to see that, don’t they?”

“Not everyone is as upright as you are. Some others are simply afraid of change. They do not want to see their world as they know it come to an end. Even some in the Sakan family might feel so.”

“Not you. I don’t even think Juven or Barbara would. Do… do you mean your brother?”

“I feel he is reluctant to lose power for all he does not want the responsibility of it.”

She only partially understood that. She looked down at her hands and then back at him, trying to be bolder than ever. “Mr. Barris, if you truly believe you are going to die tomorrow, then—”

“I have no intention of letting them harm you, and you should not want for other employment if I am gone. Barbara, of course, would keep you around, but you will find others willing to take on as a secretary, not just a maid.”

“That’s not enough. You’d be gone.”

He blinked, staring at her. “Magda...”

“I know that I shouldn’t dare hope there was even—I’m from the slums and most of what I know about the law you taught me with more patience than I deserved, but you… it’s not just what you’ve done for me, this isn’t a warped gratitude. I see so many admirable things in you when you speak to others as well. You are so passionate about the law. Your whole demeanor changes. You do what you know is right, and you have such strong principles but you haven’t lost any compassion. You work so hard to make Finsel a better place for everyone. Anyone should admire that. And… I think it is all too easy for a woman to love that.”

“You say so, but I do not believe it to be true.”

“Barbara is not a fit example.”

He laughed. “You know, of course, that I am older than you. It’s not impossible for me to have had a failed romance or two by now.”

“Not that anyone speaks of.”

“Perhaps because I am not nearly as reckless as my nephew. I would hardly let just anyone know that about me.”

“I feel both flattered and annoyed that you say that to me. It pleases me that you’d trust me with it. And yet it annoys me because… I do not want you to have had anyone else you loved. I know that’s selfish, and I can’t excuse it. I just… want to be that only one.”

“I had heard that it was man’s ambition to be a woman’s first love but a woman’s to be his _last_ love. If that is at all true… you can have that, much as I should not admit it even now. You… People will not think our relations honorable if they knew, not just about these feelings but about you coming to work for my family and then taking you from maid to legal secretary… it seems as though I wanted you for a position made in shame, not your determination to better yourself.”

She shook her head. “I never once thought that was how you saw it. You never treated me as other nobles—no, as other _men—_ did, to where I was nothing but a pretty face. You have always respected my mind. I do not have many people who do that. Even Barbara, dear to me as she is, has never valued my intelligence as much as my sense of fashion or my efficiency.”

He smiled and touched her cheek. “You are so strong. Stronger than I am.”

She leaned into his touch. “I’m not. I just couldn’t hold back knowing I could lose you tomorrow. I can’t accept that, even if I know… I have anyway.”

He frowned. “You are not about to tell me you are the assassin, are you? That’s some skill you have as I never thought you capable of such an act, and that level of deception when we all believe you are such a poor liar—”

“No! I’m—that’s not—I just meant that… That you are a noble, and I’m a girl from the slums. Even if nothing happens tomorrow, it can’t be how it was.” She almost wanted to take back what she’d said, but she didn’t. She wouldn’t. These few moments might be all she got, and she would treasure them forever.

“Yes, tomorrow will be different.”


End file.
